Hello,I'm a longtime board lurker and tbh I feel a bit cheeky using my very first post to ask for advice but not cheeky enough to not ask so...

I've been vegan for about 9 years now and I never gave protein any thought, I read a post on here a while ago about people who'd just assumed they were getting enough protein, well that was me I thought I was doing everything I should be doing but about 6 months ago I started to notice my hair looking thinner on top.

I ignored it at first, then told myself it must be because my hair was so long that it was pulling on my scalp and making it look thin, so I got it cut but it continued to look thinner. Somewehere along the way I had an 'aha!' moment and realised I was no where near eating enough protein so I upped it and I've been eating between 60 and 75gm every day since mid November to try and repair the damage but I'm not sure it's working.

I've searched 'protein' and 'hairloss' on the boards and checked out a couple of links but I'd really appreciate some more advice if anyone has any?

Is there any way I could still not be getting enough protein? I used a weight calculator the other day and it said for my weight (75kg) I should be getting 100gm of protein each day, this seems like an incredible amount to me.

Oh, and I've considered other factors like my thyroid but I don't have any other symptoms, literally just the fact that I'm apparently balding :(

Please help before I'm forced to change my newly created member name to 'formally ginger vegan' :( :(

I know I should go to a Dr, and if this was someone else I'd be pushing them to see one but I really hoped I could figure it out without going to the Dr, mainly because middle of last year I was at the Drs quite a lot being treated for stress/depression, and while I was smack in the middle of working out the best way to deal with that I noticed my hair and just couldn't bring myself to go back to the Drs again. Also, the Dr did a blood test to check for any hormonal reason behind the depression and couldn't find anything and I just (wrongly maybe? :S ) assumed that meant she'd checked my thyroid and that was ok.

As for the fat grams, I just checked todays and it's about 32 gmOh, and I take a multivitamin, a kelp tablet every other day, and a b12 sublingual.I haven't tried a hair/nails formula 'cause I just assumed(grr wrongly, most likely) that my multi would have everything I needed.

I just got told by my doctor I have a b12 deficiency, I know you take something for it but he said it could cause hair thinning. I take vitamins and b12 supps but still have it low...I have to have injections now.

Vixki, since you're in the UK too could I ask you - do you know if we can just request (plead/beg/demand, etc) that they check b12 levels and things like that? I've read various posts where vegans in the US can request bloodwork but is that something we can do?I'm more used to the Dr just telling me what's gonna happen and just blindly following his/her advice.

Thanks for your responses, I am D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y going to the Drs. If after eating the massive amounts of proteiny beans for the last few months it turns out have been some sort of vitamin deficiency I may cry.

Do you know what your iron level is? You could lose hair from iron deficiency. I take a supplement cause low iron and anemia runs in my family. it's usually something they check, but last year when I went to the doctor I asked him and my iron level turned out to be 12! I was like uh what's normal, and he said 10 to 140. Apparently he wasn't going to say anything because it was still technically an acceptable level. So get that checked when you go to the doctors.

Don't get upset if it's a vitamin deficiency. Vitamin absorption isn't just dependent on diet alone, there's lots of other confusing factors and genetics involved.

Of course, I also suggest a visit to the dr (I know you said you're going to, but wanted to cover my bases) but stress/depression can also cause hair loss. It has been happening to my mom over the past year.

Yep, I was also going to suggest stress. It's good that you're going to the doctor though! Don't feel bad if you have a vitamin deficiency, because as Alaina said there are factors other than diet alone, and once you know what the problem is you can work to fix it. Good luck!

Vixki, since you're in the UK too could I ask you - do you know if we can just request (plead/beg/demand, etc) that they check b12 levels and things like that? I've read various posts where vegans in the US can request bloodwork but is that something we can do?I'm more used to the Dr just telling me what's gonna happen and just blindly following his/her advice.

Pretty sure you can. I've asked for full vitamin checks before and they've done it, usually if you present some symptoms (fatigue generally) it helps!

Well, Drs app is booked in for next week, and I'm gonna ask for my vitamin levels and thyroid to be checked. In the mean time I'm gonna try and stop stressin about protein and just aim for the rda of 50gm (I think it's 50? Hmm I'll double check) because couroupita and shamini made good points about stress contributing to it, it's certainly not something I noticed before the stress anyway.

Thanks again to everyone who responded, from all the board lurking I've done over the years I knew The ppk would have some good advice for me :)

Good that you have a doctor's appointment! It could be vitamins, it could be stress, but it could also be a zillion other things. Some years ago now I experienced severe hair loss (I lost all my hair eventually*) and it turned out to be a form of folliculitis , which because it had been untreated for so long had really taken hold. Once diagnosed, it was treated fairly easily and quickly.

*it grew back!

_________________Everyone turns into Boo Radley, if they live long enough ~ seitanicversesThere are as many ways to live as there are humans in the world ~ SchwaGrrrl

Are you eating enough overall? One of my employees went on a crazy low calorie diet and lost huge chunks of his hair while on the diet.

My son has food issues so he sort of eats a crazy limited diet sometimes and he gets more than enough protein so you are likely to be okay as long as you are eating enough overall.

_________________A whole lot of access and privilege goes into being sanctimonious pricks J-DubDessert is currently a big bowl of sanctimonious, passive aggressive vegan enduced boak. FezzaYou people are way less funny than Pandacookie. Sucks to be you.-interrobang?!

another mention of stress-- when i worked in japan all my coworkers (who had also just moved to japan) and i commiserated about all the hair we were losing. also, medications, it could be anything, not just a protein loss. glad you're going to get checked out!